Uncoupling GP1 and GP2 Expression in the Lassa Virus Glycoprotein Complex: Implications for GPI Ectodomain Shedding

Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT) was characterized in plasma from infected African Green monkeys, rabbits, and guinea pigs. In all cases, during the terminal phase of infection only the protease-activated 63-kDa form of protective antigen (PA63) and the residual 20-kDa fragment (PA20) were detec...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Illick, Megan M, Branco, Luis M, Fair, Joseph N, Illick, Kerry A, Matschiner, Alex, Schoepp, Randal, Garry, Robert F, Guttieri, Mary C
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ANIMALS
BACILLUS ANTHRACIS
Biochemistry
DIAGNOSIS(MEDICINE)
ECTODOMAIN SHEDDING
ENZYMES
GLYCOPROTEINS
GP1(GLYCOPROTEIN 1)
GP2(GLYCOPROTEIN 2)
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
LASSA FEVER
LETHALITY
LT(LETHAL TOXIN)
Medicine and Medical Research
Microbiology
REPRINTS
TOXINS AND ANTITOXINS
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Summary:Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LT) was characterized in plasma from infected African Green monkeys, rabbits, and guinea pigs. In all cases, during the terminal phase of infection only the protease-activated 63-kDa form of protective antigen (PA63) and the residual 20-kDa fragment (PA20) were detected in the plasma. No uncut PA with a molecular mass of 83 kDa was detected in plasma from toxemic animals during the terminal stage of infection. PA63 was largely associated with lethal factor (LF), forming LT. Characterization of LT by Western blotting, capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and size exclusion chromatography revealed that the antiphagocytic poly- -D-glutamic acid ( -DPGA) capsule released from B. anthracis bacilli was associated with LT in animal blood in variable amounts. While the nature of this in vivo association is not understood, we were able to determine that a portion of these LT/ -DPGA complexes retained LF protease activity. Our findings suggest that the in vivo LT complexes differ from in vitro-produced LT and that including -DPGA when examining the effects of LT on specific immune cells in vitro may reveal novel and important roles for -DPGA in anthrax pathogenesis. The original document contains color images. Pub. in Virology Journal, v5 n161 p1-17, 2008. Supported in part by National Inst. of Health and National Inst. of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Challenge and Partnership.